Iwi station Radio Ngāti Porou has been a lifeline for the East Coast community in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle. It's been working with the local civil defence teams based at Whakarua Park in Ruatoria to support whānau.
“We are resilient and determined people and we have adapted to these types of weather,” Ngāti Porou chief executive Erana Reedy said.
State Highway 35 remains closed. Roads, bridges, trees, houses and schools are all affected. Ruatoria has power and sending out notices to locals via Radio Ngāti Porou. Te Tai Rāwhiti Civil Defence has a Starlink system so it can communicate with the Emergency Coordination Centre in Gisborne.
Community pitches in
“Fortunately for us here we have been able to be able to connect through the internet, our Starlink terminals and again through Radio Ngāti Porou, which is servicing those local requirements and across the region,” Te Tairāwhiti Civil Defence’sKumeroa Papuni-Tuhaka said.
Whakarua Park and the Ruatoria Fire Station are being used by police, army and Fire and Emergency personnel, medical, Civil Defence, roading crews and local volunteers to help families in need.
Radio Ngāti Porous keeps comms open and hope alive.
Also set up in the local rugby club are whānau preparing relief packs from dry foods to basic necessities. Allocation of medications, food and water to those in rural areas is on high priority using helicopters.
The Ruatoria community has banded together and is sharing back to the base what conditions whānau are in and Papuni-Tuhakaand his team are working with this intelligence and providing the support they can.
Region cut off
“We send this information off to ECC in Gisborne where they are coordinating air tasks and road movement tasks where possible. That coordination is really important to identify where the need is and then service that,” Papuni-Tuhaka said.
The region remains cut off, with no road access in or out of the district, and no internet or cellphone coverage. While plans have started to get coverage again, there is no timeframe available yet.
The Ministry of Education has confirmed all schools are closed until Monday at least.
